The present invention relates to a colored golf ball having a fluorescent color. More specifically, the invention relates to a fluorescent colored golf ball which is endowed with a coloring that conveys a sense of quality, performance attributes, and an excellent color change resistance that are acceptable to the skilled golfer.
Of the qualities other than performance sought in a golf ball, emphasis has begun to be placed on the psychological effect produced by the appearance of the ball. Golf balls in colors such as yellow, pink and orange have hitherto been disclosed in the art. However, owing to the emphasis placed on the visibility of the ball, such balls have lacked a high-quality feel. Also, the skilled golfer strives constantly to play the sport in a calm state of mind. In addition, golfers tend to dislike losing balls during play.
At the same time, with the increased versatility of golf balls in recent years, adopting an at least three-piece construction composed of a core, an intermediate layer and a cover is becoming a precondition for the creation of golf balls capable of satisfying the skilled golfer. In solid multi-piece golf balls composed of three or more pieces, the sensory impression left by the ball varies depending on differences in the thickness and color of each layer.
Golf balls which, in addition to being endowed with good performance attributes, also convey a sense of quality and moreover have a reassuring and psychologically calming effect on the golfer have yet to appear on the market.
Golf balls which have hitherto been disclosed include the following prior art.
JP-A 2007-21204, which describes a golf ball having a clear cover over a core that is coated with a bright pigment-containing coating, strives to achieve a metallic texture and markings that appear three-dimensional. The intention is not to provide a fluorescent colored ball.
JP-A 2007-21205 describes a golf ball in which the color difference ΔE between an inside layer and the ball is set to a small value of 30 or less. However, this ball has a subdued appearance that lacks visual impact. Moreover, the object here is to include a pearlescent pigment in the cover so as to give the cover a pastel tone; it is not the object of this prior-art disclosure to use a fluorescent pigment or dye so as to achieve bright coloring having a high-quality feel.
U.S. published patent application Ser. No. 11/882216 discloses an invention relating to a two-piece golf ball. However, this ball does not have a construction of three or more pieces such as would satisfy the skilled golfer, and is inferior in terms of performance. Moreover, a large amount of fluorescent pigment is added to the cover, resulting in a less than adequate transparency and an excessively strong color tone which deprives the ball of a high-quality feel. Also, the addition of a large amount of fluorescent pigment gives the ball a poor resistance to color change.
The golf ball described in JP-A 2007-144097 lacks specificity concerning the intermediate layer transparency and the cover transparency, in addition to which no mention whatsoever is made of a high-quality feel.
JP-A 10-155937, JP No. 3862332, and JP-A 2000-254250 mention balls which exhibit pastel tones. However, these golf balls are very deeply colored and visually disconcerting. Moreover, they lack a high-quality feel and have a poor resistance to color change.
JP-A 2000-24139 discloses a colored ball of excellent visibility which has a bright, highly intense color tone. However, because the cover contains a large amount of fluorescent pigment, it is not sufficiently transparent and has an excessively strong color, resulting in a ball that lacks a high-quality feel.
JP-A 2004-33594 describes a golf ball of blue, pink or yellow color which is specified in terms of the L*a*b* color system so as to enhance visibility. However, such golf balls do not excel in terms of a high-quality feel, performance and resistance to color change.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 11/299947 discloses the enhancement of ball visibility by specifying light-harvesting fluorescent dyes and dimple edge angles. However, because the inner layer is given a light white color or is of the same color as the cover, the ball lacks a certain brightness of coloring and ends up a darker shade.